


Neverending Fight

by annannette (fanetjuh)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - War, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-15 23:49:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9264542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanetjuh/pseuds/annannette
Summary: I was constantly aware of the fact that this could be my last day, my last hour, my last moment. And if I would make it, I knew that a lot of people around me would not.*short story about a damsel in distress nolens volens*





	

I stood behind the huge glass wall on the stairs above the gate. My knees were trembling and my entire body was shaking.

Around me people were running in and out. They were carrying weapons, even though they had never fought in any war before. They would fight for me. They would fight so I could live the happily ever after they would probably never get.

In a way I knew it was unfair. I knew it was unfair that I would allow all those people, who had grown to love me over only so little time, to die for me. And yet I knew that I wouldn't be able to convince them not to.

"You'll be alright." Robb turned his face towards me. He had dark brown curls and piercing blue eyes, just like his younger brother. He was barely thirty and yet he was standing next to me to control an army of skilled and not so skilled fighters.

"And what about them?" I pointed at the farmers with their pitchforks. I pointed at the veterans, in wheelchairs or leaning on crutches, behind me.

"They see this fight as a chance to prove you how much they love you." Robb swallowed. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, but he straightened his back and lifted his chin.

"What can I do to tell them I love them too?" I swallowed. I felt my heart racing in my chest.

Eight girls had lined up next to me and behind me. They had no idea how to fight. They had never held a weapon before, but they explained me that they would do something equally important. They had not told me what that something would be and that had gotten me worried.

"As soon as this is over we will figure something out." Robb either didn't allow himself to think about the possibility that we wouldn't make it out of this alive. Or he didn't allow me to think like that.

"I hope so." I was constantly aware of the fact that this could be my last day, my last hour, my last moment. And if I would make it, I knew that a lot of people around me would not.

"Everyone ready?" Robb raised his voice. He wore a frown on his forehead and he squeezed his eyes. He had seen something no one else had seen yet. He had become commander of his father's army for a reason. "Take your positions now!" He yelled and I felt two girls grabbing my arm. "Whatever happens, they won't get to our princess!"

"Lay down, miss..." One of the girls whispered in my ears and I nodded at her before I quickly placed myself flat on my stomach. She and the other girls pressed their bodies to mine. Next to mine. On top of mine. On top of each other.

I realised they would literally be my human shield.

"Don't move until I say so." Robb's voice sounded far away.

Even if I would have wanted to move, I couldn't do so. I could barely breath. I could only close my eyes and pray that when I would open them again I would see Robb and Dominic instead of the King of the United Kingdom or one of his noble knights.

“Anna?”

I couldn’t say if the girls who had been protecting me had stood up or were lifted up. I couldn’t say how much time had passed. I couldn’t say what I had heard and what I had thought.

“Anna, it’s over, you can stand up.” Robb placed a hand on my shoulder.

I realised that my entire body hurt. My muscles were tensed and I was breathing heavily. I knew however that everyone, if there were still people left at least, was watching me. I had to stand up as if I had not been afraid, terrified. I had to stand up as if I wasn’t harmed in any way.

“We survived.” Robb held out his hand and I placed my hand in his. His hair was glued to his forehead and I didn’t need to ask where all those dark red spots on his clothes came from. He wore his sword hidden in a scabbard, but I knew that liquid in that same dark red color would drip from it.

“Dominic?” I straightened my back and tried to lift my chin.

“He’s safe as well.” Robb nodded at me and even though I didn’t need his hand anymore he tightened his grip while I turned around.

I stopped breathing when I saw the chaos in the throne room. I felt my stomach twirl when I noticed the bodies of countless of soldiers on the floor and a few of them on top of spears stuck in the marmer floor.

Most of the bodies were surrounded by their own and each other’s blood. Some of them were barely recognisable.

In a way I was glad about that. I would soon enough find out who had survived and who hadn’t, but I preferred not to remember them like this.

“They didn’t die for nothing.” Robb squeezed my hand and I knew that the survivors were watching me hoping the same thing.

“They won’t give up after one lost fight.” I replied and even though my legs protested I started walking, making my way through the room. I tried not to stare at my feet and shoes. I tried to keep my eyes on the door at the very end.

The door was still closed, even though the guards in front of it had not survived the attempts to get past them.

“They thought you and Dominic would be inside, out of reach.” Robb spoke softly, as if he didn’t want to disturb the deafening silence. “They didn’t suspect that you were next to me.”

“Would they have stopped fighting when they had managed to kill me?” I didn’t dare to look at him.

Robb had once said that it was me asking those questions, that made the people love me. “Maybe, but we wouldn’t have.” He swallowed. “Your people wouldn’t have.”

I sighed and took a few deep breaths when we stood still in front of the door.

Two soldiers, who were more or less unharmed, removed the dead bodies and opened the door without saying a word.

I knew I would never be able to return a favour like this. Especially not because I knew they would have to do this until the Big Kingdom had no army left anymore.

“Do you think you can make it from here?” Robb dropped my hand and for a short moment I was afraid I would lose my balance and collapse, but instead I nodded. “Dominic and my parents are on their way from the bunker. They’ll be here any minute.” He nodded when I made eye contact with him. “I’ll take care of the soldiers in the throne room. They fought bravely today.”

“I know.”

Robb closed the door behind me after those last few words and my eyes needed a little time to adjust to the sudden lack of light.

For the first time today I felt alone. I was not accompanied by Robb, softly explaining his tactics and what everyone’s role would be. I was not accompanied by one of the handmaidens, who had not said much, but still. I was not accompanied by soldiers and commoners encouraging me with only two or three words of comfort.

“You’ve been brave today.”

I looked up when the queen, looking as if this entire fight had not happened, stood in front of me. 

She had dark red hair, perfectly braided, and her eyes stared at me. “Your stance looked much better right before the battle then during any of my lessons.” Only she managed to make a compliment sound offending, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile politely. “My son is waiting for you in the chapel.” She nodded her head and I bent my knees slightly before I passed her.

The halls of the castle had never been this empty. My footsteps were echoing all around me. The unusual silence hurt in ways I couldn’t even describe.

“Anna?” Dominic rushed towards me as soon as he saw me. His arms slid around my waist and he pressed me to his chest. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” He kissed my lips as if he had not kissed me this morning and last night and countless days and nights before. He kissed me as if he would never kiss me again.

I wasn’t sure if I was okay. I couldn’t shake the image of the death bodies covering the marmer floor of the throne room. I didn’t want to shake the image.

Those people had died for me. They had died because they had cared about my life more than they had cared about their own.

“I’m glad you’re okay too.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. I knew that he was blaming himself for this as much as I blamed me. After all, he had been the one choosing me instead of the young and beautiful queen of the Big Kingdom who had set her mind on him.

“I’ve died at least ten times during the last five hours.” His voice was trembling while he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

Five hours. This fight had lasted five hours. A lot could happen in five hours. A lot of people could die in five hours. A lot of people had died in five hours.

“All those people…” I almost tripped over my own words and now I was finally safely in his arms again I felt my eyes watering and the tears rolling down my cheeks. “They all died for me.”

“For us.” Dominic rubbed my back and he let my head rest on his shoulder. “They died for us. They died because they believe you are their rightful queen. They died because they believe this country deserves someone like you and not someone like her. They died because I picked you and not her.” He didn’t have to say her name for me to know who he was talking about.

“How can I ever become the queen they think I can be?” I shook my head. My parents had never been rich and I knew next to nothing about the rules at court and how to talk, stand and move like a proper lady.

“You already are. And don’t let my mother tell you otherwise.” Dominic smiled. “But next time my brother can shove his tactic of hiding you in the front line, where our enemy doesn’t expect you, up his…”

I shook my head before he could finish his sentence. “Dominic! Even I don’t talk like that!”

“You get my point. Next time you’ll be with me.” He kissed me again and my heart skipped a beat in my chest. “I don’t care if that’s smart or not.”


End file.
